A Colonel and A Baby
by scarlet79
Summary: Due to a Gate malfunction, Colonel John Sheppard gets trapped on a planet alone. Soon, he finds that he's not exactly the ONLY person on the planet, and must keep both of them safe from a familiar enemy. Just a little short story full of "Awwww..."
1. Chapter 1

A Colonel and a Baby

Chapter 1

The light was too bright.

It shone into his face, turning the darkness behind his eyelids red, like magma. His ribs were hurting, making each breath more painful than the last. _B__ruised_, he thought to himself, though he couldn't quite remember how they'd gotten that way.

The air around him smelled…well, green, and when a slight breeze passed over him, he realized that he was outside. He turned his head to the side, feeling damp dirt cling to his cheek.

"Definitely outside," he muttered aloud, and suddenly, the events leading up to his awakening on the ground came rushing back to him.

AT-1, led by Colonel John Sheppard, had been checking in with a village of allies, bringing along a few crates of supplies for the people – clothes, food, a small shipment of medicine from Dr. Keller. The people had been grateful, offering to share a meal with the team, and they had willingly accepted. After supper and what seemed like endless hugs and well-wishes, Sheppard and his team made their way back to the Stargate, weary from the day's activities. Rodney McKay had dialed the address for Atlantis, and Ronon had led the way through the even horizon, followed by Rodney and Teyla. Sheppard had been about to step over the threshold, when something happened. Some kind of energy burst hit the 'gate, and the puddle suddenly disappeared. As a result, Sheppard was thrown forward through the now-empty ring, landing hard on the ground behind it. As he fell, he managed to hit a large boulder on the way down.

_Which is probably where the bruised ribs come in_, Sheppard guessed as he attempted to roll over and push himself up onto his hands and knees. His chest hurt, but he'd had enough of laying around on the ground; the hot sun beat down on him, probably causing a wicked burn that he'd feel later. Once he was on his feet again, he surveyed his surroundings and then headed back toward the town. He'd grab a quick drink, explain what happened, and then get back to the 'gate, hoping that by then, Rodney had figured out how to fix this mess.

When he emerged from the forest surrounding the town, Sheppard's instincts immediately put him on edge.

"What the…?" He said aloud.

The town was empty. The kids that were playing on the paths not a half-hour ago were gone, as were their mothers, who'd been happily chatting with their neighbors and calling out warnings to their offspring to stay within eyesight. Worst of all, the air around him was silent; no birds or crickets chirped out their songs, no goats or cows cried out for their daily meals. Not even the wind blew here. It seemed that every sign of life had been taken away._ Or killed_, his grimmer self blurted out. Sheppard pushed the thought away quickly. He didn't want to entertain that line of thinking until it was confirmed beyond a doubt.

Lifting his P-90 and pointing it ahead of him, he methodically swept each building in the village, looking for any sign of what – or who – had done this. After nearly an hour, he'd found nothing except the remains of their shared meal, and a few forgotten candles, slowly melting their hot wax over their holders. These Sheppard carefully blew out, not wanting the houses to catch fire in case the townspeople miraculously returned.  
Sheppard decided to take a break, sitting on the top step of one of the houses. He was just about nodding off, when his ear caught a strange wailing sound nearby. He straightened up and leaned forward, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. It seemed to be coming from across the street, from a smallish, square house he'd somehow missed in his search.

Cautiously, he made his way across the dirt road, his gun up and ready. As he slunk around the side of the house, he glanced through the windows, but nothing moved within. Now, though, the sound was louder, clearer, and he grimaced as the wailing pitch rang in his ears. Finally, he reached the door, and used the barrel of his gun to push it open wide enough for him to step through. He followed the sound to a far corner of the dim, two-room house, where a bundle of blankets lay in a heap on the floor.

"No way!" Sheppard breathed as he saw what was lying atop the blankets. Kneeling on the dirt floor, he put down his P90 and gently picked up the bundle, holding it securely in his arms. He pulled a corner of the blankets aside, allowing him a better view of the baby he now held. Its tiny hands were balled into fists, waving wildly as it cried loudly, the little face turning a vivid pinkish-red while huge crocodile tears slid from the baby's dark brown eyes to its temples.

"Hey, now," he soothed, his eyes scanning the room for some kind of bottle for the child. When his gaze finally lit upon a full bottle of milk on the table, he sighed in relief and slowly stood up, a difficult task with bruised ribs, not to mention holding a 9 pound baby as well.

Sheppard retrieved the bottle and carefully put it to the baby's mouth. He was rewarded by sudden silence as the baby's hunger was eased. Sheppard found a chair near the window, where he could keep watch for rescue as he cared for the infant, and sat down carefully.

"Well," he said after a while, "I need to call you something other than 'Baby'."

Now satisfied by the bottle, the baby quietly gazed back at him, no doubt curious as to who he was, as well.

Sheppard smiled. "Pretty sure you're a boy – though I'll find out for sure sooner or later – so how about…Aiden? After a good friend of mine."

Still, the baby stared at him, and Sheppard nodded. "Okay, then. Aiden it is."

He set the empty bottle aside, and gently rocked back and forth, hoping the motion would soothe Aiden to sleep. He checked his watch and sighed.  
Three hours. Aloud, he wondered, "Where are you guys?"

Suddenly, Aiden began to squall again, his little legs kicking under the warm layers he was swaddled in. Though he had virtually no experience dealing with babies, Sheppard had watched Teyla with the various children of the Athosians enough to know what was wrong.

"Okay, okay," he said to Aiden, and placed the baby against his shoulder, alternately patting and rubbing Aiden's back until a loud burp erupted from his stomach.

Sheppard chuckled as he laid the baby back across his arms. "Nice one, buddy. I rate that one an 8."

As night slowly fell over the nearly-empty village, Sheppard continued to keep watch. Aiden slept cozily in the crook of his arm, and Sheppard envied the little one; he was tired, himself, but he couldn't afford to sleep now. Whatever had made the townspeople disappear could come back again to search for anyone who'd escaped. And, more importantly, his team could be looking for him. Moving carefully so he wouldn't wake Aiden, he checked the time again. He'd been missing for seven hours now. A tiny feeling of worry niggled at the base of his brain. What if they couldn't fix this? Would he be left alone here, forever?

Sheppard shook his head to clear away the thought._ No_, he told himself;_ they'd figure this out. They always did._

But there was another, more pressing worry on his mind. All too soon, Aiden would need to be fed again, and he'd only found the one bottle. Just where did he think he was going to find milk?

_I'll look for some when it gets a little lighter outside_, he told himself. Right now, there wasn't much he could do, since Aiden was still sleeping and Sheppard didn't want to risk waking him by moving.

Carefully, he slouched a little farther in the chair, ignoring the ache in his ribs, and closed his eyes, intending only to rest until the sun began to rise again.

* * *

Sheppard started awake when the baby in his arms began to stir, and was mildly surprised to see that it was now daylight. He looked down into the infant's wide eyes and smiled sleepily.

"Hey, Aiden. Guess I dozed off, huh?"

Aiden cooed softly in response, then stuck his fingers in his mouth and sucked on them. Sheppard shifted him from one arm to the other and realized that he had another, even more pressing problem than finding food for the baby.

"Geez, kid," he muttered, "we gotta find a diaper for you, and a clean shirt for me."

Again, the baby made a quiet noise around his fingers. Before he actually moved from his chair, Sheppard did a visual search for anything suitable for use as a diaper. Finding nothing, he realized he'd have to move after all, and sighed loudly. His ribs protested as he stood and turned toward the corner he'd found Aiden in, and again when he finally bent over and placed the baby atop his blankets.

"It's just for a minute, buddy," he murmured, this time moving slowly as he stood back up.

He ended up finding a clean linen shirt hanging in the bedroom closet, and decided to exchange his dirty – and now, wet – t-shirt for it. He tossed the t-shirt haphazardly into a corner, then continued his search for diapers. He'd been hoping that Aiden's mother had kept all the baby's things in one place, but he had no such luck. From what he could tell, the kid didn't even have a crib, let alone a neatly-stacked pile of cloth diapers.

"Great," he said to himself, resting his hands loosely on his hips. Glancing around again, he knew he'd have to improvise, and when his eyes spotted a clean linen sheet laying at the foot of the bed, he decided it was as good as anything. He reached for the knife at his belt, and in less than five minutes, he had four nice-sized (if crudely-fashioned) diapers for Aiden cut from the sheet. And just in time, too, he mused as the baby started to squall in the other room. Sheppard slipped his knife back into the sheath, grabbed the pile of homemade diapers, and walked back into the main room.

"Hey, little man. I'm right here," he soothed, but the crying only rose louder. Sheppard knelt down in front of the baby and inspected the diaper he wore. The top looked folded, somehow, and two pins secured it at the sides. I can do that, he assured himself as he began to undo the dirty cloth encircling Aiden's tiny waist.

After multiple tries, through which Aiden cried quite loudly, Sheppard finally managed to secure a clean diaper around the baby, and all without accidentally pricking either of them with the pins. Feeling quite proud of his accomplishment, he lifted Aiden to his chest and patted him lightly on the back, which seemed to calm him.

At least until Sheppard's stomach rumbled – a low growl followed by a single gurgling noise. Whether Aiden had heard it or felt it didn't matter, as his cries returned all the same, sharp and desperate-sounding. Sheppard cuddled him closer, readjusting his grip on the squirming infant.

"I know. I'm gonna find you some food. Somehow," he added softly. He'd wracked his brain for hours, and hadn't come up with a single good idea yet. All the animals in the village were gone, so cow's milk was definitely out. And in all the time he had been here, he hadn't seen a wild animal of any kind, let alone a sheep or goat. He suddenly found himself wishing he was home on Atlantis, surrounded by his team – his family – and where there was a great big kitchen full of milk.

"Please, help me out here," he uttered to the air above his head. But it was an empty plea, and he fully knew it. He couldn't remember a time when God had actually answered any of his prayers. If He had, maybe his mother would still be alive, as would at least one member of his team in Afghanistan.

Still, the words offered him a little comfort, and a tiny warm spot of peace spread through his aching chest. He carried Aiden out to the porch, hoping the warm breeze would soothe them both. As he stood there, he gazed emptily into the trees around the village, watching as the breeze stirred the branches, fluttering the leaves like butterflies' wings. Then, a small sound reached his ears, one that filled him with more hope than he had ever felt before. His eyes pinpointed the place he'd heard it come from, and nearly forgot to breathe as he waited for the source of the noise to come closer. Soon, the underbrush parted, revealing an animal the size of a Great Dane, but that closely resembled a cow. Its coat was white, spotted with a dark chestnut color, and there were small horns protruding above its eyes. He's seen the same animal in one of the village corrals a few days ago, and knew that although it carried horns, it was indeed a female. He'd watched one of the women expertly milking her.

Overjoyed, Sheppard again laid Aiden on his blankets, and then returned outside. The cow still grazed on the underbrush at the forest edge, so he slowly stepped off the porch and made his way over to a nearby corral, grabbing a fistful of hay from the manger.

"Here, girl. Here Bessie," he called softly, holding the hay at arm's length as he carefully moved toward the cow. He didn't really think "Bessie" suited her, but right now he couldn't think of a better name. The cow saw the hay he offered, and began to pick her way across the road to him, stopping uncertainly every now and then.

When she finally reached him and began to munch the hay, he rubbed his hand gently down her neck. "Good girl," he said as he felt her slowly relax under his touch. When she was fully calm, he began to lead her to the paddocks. There were nearly there when Aiden made a sudden noise inside the house, sending Bessie running back toward the underbrush. Not willing to let his only means of feeding Aiden escape, Sheppard sprinted after her, though the pain in his ribs threatened to tear his breath away. Just before the cow could disappear into the forest, Sheppard leaped forward, wrapping his arm around her neck. He let himself fall heavily to the ground, his weight pulling her down with him, and he suddenly knew what a cowboy must feel like. He didn't envy them in the least.

"Come on, Bess," he growled as his free hand probed his pockets for anything to use as a lead rope. "We can't let the baby starve to death." Finally his fingers closed on a length of hemp twine he'd been planning on using as tinder for a fire. He pulled it out and quickly tossed it over Bessie's neck, knotting it twice to make sure it would hold.

Exhausted and in pain, Sheppard scrambled to his feet, holding the rope just slack enough to allow the cow to stand as well. When she was up, he rubbed his hand between her horns, and she licked his hand. It seemed as if they'd made peace with each other again.

"All right, let's get that kid some breakfast," he said to Bessie as he led her into the nearest corral. She stood patiently as he locked the gate behind him, didn't even blink as he grabbed a clean pail from nearby and got to work.

* * *

_Continued next chapter..._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Rodney paced around Carter's office, one hand at his temple and the other waving wildly around in the air.

"I don't know what happened!" He exclaimed on his fortieth trip past Carter's desk. "One minute, Sheppard was right behind us, and the next…" he paused to throw both hands up, and Carter grimaced at his agitation.

"Rodney, calm down," she said, and was surprised when he actually did. He stopped and flopped down into the chair in front of her desk. Behind him, Teyla and Ronon each stood with their hands folded behind them.

"It's just…" he leaned forward, his palms flat on the desk's surface. "There was a minor power fluctuation as we crossed the event horizon; Atlantis' sensors picked it up, but it doesn't look like enough of a glitch to have done any damage to the gate."

"Run a check anyway. Have you tried to dial the planet yet?"

"No, and I'm not sure we should. At least until we run a scan for Sheppard's signature. If he's stuck in the gate's buffers, and the power overloads or shorts out altogether…"

"Right," Carter agreed, understanding the implication he made. "Let's get moving on this, then. He won't have long if he's trapped in there."

Rodney scowled. "Right, because for the past –" he looked down at his watch " – fifteen hours, we've been sitting on our hands!"

Carter narrowed her eyes at him, a sharp retort on her tongue, but she bit it back. He was just upset, as they all were, and lashing out at anyone in an effort to hide how worried and afraid he was. She could understand that, having experienced the same situation more than a few times. Sheppard was his best friend, one of the select few who, if they didn't understand Rodney's genius, at least understood him and treated him as a person. Sheppard could take Rodney's acerbic wit – and often gave just as well back – without getting offended by it. They might not agree on everything, but they cared about each other like…_well, like brothers_, Carter thought.

"I'm sorry, Rodney. I know you're doing all you can," she apologized sincerely, and the anger soon drained out of his face.

"That's alright," he replied. "I'm just tired. And hungry. Anyone know if the mess hall is still open?"

Ronon nodded. "There's some stew still down there, and something called 'strawberry shortcake'."

"Ooh. I could go for some of that. Anyone care to join me?"

Carter shook her head, but both Teyla and Ronon agreed. She dismissed the trio, and watched as they left her office, chatting about nothing important. She grinned at that – at least their minds had been taken off of Sheppard for a while.

Now, if they could just get him back.

* * *

"I really wish Rodney was here right now," Sheppard grumbled as he slid out from under the DHD and sat up. As he wiped his dirty palms off on his pants, he glanced over at Aiden, who was napping inside the makeshift sling Sheppard had made from a curtain. After he'd fed Aiden the milk he got from Bessie, he'd trekked to the 'gate with the baby carefully tucked in the sling, which he'd then slipped over his neck, effectively binding Aiden to his chest. He'd also grabbed a spare blanket on the way out, which was now tucked carefully under the sleeping baby, so he wouldn't be so close to the cool, damp earth.

He'd tried to take a look at the DHD's control crystals, intending to find out if any were damaged, but he couldn't tell. That was more Rodney's specialty, his mind grumbled, so he gave up on them and went back to simply hoping for rescue instead.

Soon, though, his mind wandered to how he'd found Bessie. Even though he'd long since given up on the idea of God caring about him – or anyone else, for that matter – he still wondered if maybe his prayer had been answered after all. _And, if it was, was it God who'd answered, or someone else?_ He decided he didn't really care; Aiden was fed, and that was all that mattered to him right then.

_Well, that, and getting off this damned planet_, he amended. It was still so quiet, so empty. Though he had Aiden with him, he'd never felt so alone, so…forgotten. He wondered if maybe his friends took him for dead, if they'd given up trying to find him. Maybe they hadn't even bothered to search for him at all. If that was the case, then he and Aiden would be stuck here forever – or until the cow's milk ran out.

Sheppard shuddered at the thought, and tried to block it out of his mind. Subconsciously, he glanced over at the baby again. He was still asleep, his tiny chest rising and falling with each breath, and Sheppard sighed in relief.

Then, suddenly, another thought came to him, and he kicked himself for not thinking of it sooner. He jumped to his feet, wincing as his ribs protested, and stared at the top of the DHD. When he'd picked out the seven symbols he needed, he pressed them in the correct order, then placed his palm flat against the stone in the middle. The puddle in the center of the 'gate started to form, and he thought he might shout with joy. But just as his hope began to swell, the lit symbols around the 'gate blinked out, and the puddle collapsed on itself.

"Dammit!" He shouted, slamming his fist on the DHD.

Aiden woke at the sudden noise, startled into crying, and Sheppard immediately wanted to punch himself. Everything had been going so well for a while, and now? Now, he felt as if he might go insane.

Sheppard moved to where Aiden lay, his tiny arms and legs flailing angrily, and scooped the baby up into his arms, sling and all.

"Hey, hey," he soothed as he gently jiggled the baby up and down. "Sorry 'bout that, buddy. Pretty stupid of me, I guess."

Aiden soon calmed down, whether from Sheppard's voice or from the motion, the colonel neither knew nor cared, and instead intently watched Sheppard's face.

"Well, looks like we're sunk. Might as well get back to the village."

Aiden waved his hand at Sheppard's chin, catching his fingers on the slight stubble that had grown there, and Sheppard chuckled. "Yeah, I know. Probably look pretty ridiculous, huh?" _Put finding a razor on my "to-do" list_, he thought.

On the way back, he found bushes absolutely laden with berries of all colors. There was only one way to tell if they were edible or not, and though he wasn't eager to either get horribly sick or die, his intense hunger signaled that his strength would soon begin to give out. Pushing his apprehension aside, he pulled out the bandana he kept in his back pocket, and filled it with berries – a handful of each color. He'd try one of each after he got Aiden settled back in the house; hopefully, none of them would kill him, and at least one would taste good. When they were secured in the bandanna, he started off again, trying not to jostle the baby too much as he walked.

He was almost to the village, when a familiar whining sound rushed overhead. Sheppard instinctively ducked into the bushes, and loosely covered the baby with the blanket he carried. His eyes scanned both the horizon and the ground in front of him, and then he saw what he feared the most. A Wraith dart soared across the evening sky, heading straight for the village. Sheppard had a sudden worried thought – that they were coming for his cow – but he shook his head. That couldn't be right. But what were they there for? For the baby? For him? Had they somehow found out that he was there?

He immediately shoved all questions out of his mind as a Wraith soldier suddenly stepped right in front of his hiding place. As the soldier paced there, Sheppard held his breath and prayed that Aiden would stay quiet. After what seemed like hours, the soldier walked away, and Sheppard finally relaxed a little. He slowly peeled back a corner of the blanket, and was relieved to see that Aiden was asleep again.

Now, he had a problem. His weapons were all in the village, tucked under Aiden's blankets. He would've at least strapped on his sidearm, but he really hadn't expected company. _If they wanted dinner, they could've at least called ahead_, he muttered to himself. Dinner…that reminded him in an odd, roundabout way of the knife she still carried. It was pretty useless in a fight against soul-sucking space vampires, but it could help if he wanted to set a trap or two. Only problem with that was, where would he put Aiden in the meantime? He wouldn't sleep forever, and he was bound to be hungry soon. From what Sheppard could see, the Wraith weren't leaving any time in the near-future, either.

No, for now, as much as he hated the thought, he'd have to tuck in somewhere. At least until they either left, or a better opportunity to fight came along.

Keeping low, Sheppard slunk through the woods, his eyes searching for a place to hide.

* * *

Carter walked into the control room, and though her face was neutral, her feelings anything but. "Any progress, Rodney?"

McKay looked up at her and nodded. "We've determined that Sheppard's signature isn't locked in the buffers."

"Well, that's good news," Carter said, allowing herself a small hopeful grin.

"Yes, yes," Rodney replied distractedly. "And if he isn't in the buffers…"

"Then he must still be on the planet," Teyla put in quietly, eliciting another nod from the scientist.

"Any luck dialing the planet's stargate?" Carter asked.

"No, which brings me to our other little 'discovery'." He swiveled his chair around to face her. "The 'gate on the planet was hit by a blast from an energy weapon."

"Wraith stunners?"

Rodney shook his head. "Impossible to tell. All I know is, the 'gate was hit, and the blast was powerful enough to disrupt the wormhole. Must've shut it down right before Sheppard came through."

Carter's eyes widened as she realized what Rodney was getting at. "So Sheppard got stuck on the planet, which by now could be crawling with Wraith."

"Yeah," he said quietly, unable to mask the worry on his face.

"We must go back and find him," Teyla said then, her dark eyes mirroring Rodney's blue ones.

"Yes, yes. We could take a Jumper," Rodney added, his look at Carter one of pleading, or at least as close as he could ever get to it.

Carter bit her bottom lip as she thought for a moment. It would be foolish to send Sheppard's team through the Stargate with no intel of any kind, but on the other hand, Sheppard was the military leader of Atlantis. She knew what the Wraith would do to him if they found him – if it was indeed the Wraith who'd done this – and she couldn't leave him to that fate. But what if the rest of the team stumbled right into a trap…?

"Okay," she said at last, but before Ronon could stalk out of the room, she added, "but be very careful. There's no telling what's down there, or how many of them there are."

Minutes later, as the three friends suited up for their mission, Ronon asked, "You really think Sheppard's still on the planet?"

"We must at least look for him," Teyla replied, as she clipped a P-90 to her tac vest. "If he has been taken, he may have left us a clue as to where they took him."

"Or who 'they' are," Rodney added.

"I'm bettin' on Wraith," Ronon growled, and checked to make sure all his knives were accounted for.

Teyla nodded her agreement, then said, "I just hope he is alright."

Rodney snorted. "This is Sheppard we're talking about. Of course he's alright." But when he turned away from her to slip his handgun into its holster, he breathed in a deep, shaky breath. He hoped he was right, that they wouldn't find him at the bottom of a cliff – or worse, shriveled into a skeleton, his eyes lifeless and…he pushed the thought away. If there was one thing Sheppard had tried to teach him, it was to stay positive.

Still visibly upset, he spun around and said, "Can we get a move on? Time's running out here."

Teyla and Ronon exchanged a knowing look, and then Teyla nodded to Rodney. "We are ready."

"Good," he snapped in reply, before turning to lead the way down to the Gate Room. Ronon went after him, and Teyla took up the rear, silently praying to the Ancestors that they would find Sheppard alive and well.

* * *

Night had fallen again, and instead of sitting inside a cozy house, Sheppard was huddled inside a small cave, cradling Aiden against his chest to keep them both warm. He'd fed Aiden about three hours ago with a spare bottle he'd thought enough ahead to stow in the sling, along with two of the cloth diapers he'd made. The bottle was now empty and he had one diaper left, but he knew he'd have to use it very soon. Aiden was awake, but was blessedly calm, and Sheppard was infinitely grateful. Since he'd found this place and hunkered down, two patrols of Wraith soldiers had come very close, almost close enough to hear their raspy breathing, and Sheppard was constantly on edge. He was exhausted, but he forced himself to stay awake, in case another patrol came by.

Sheppard looked down at the soft hair atop the baby's head, so wispy and delicate-looking, and a strange feeling squeezed his heart. He suddenly felt a rush of anger at the Wraith, more hatred than he'd ever experienced before, and he wondered at it. All he wanted to do then was press Aiden even closer to him, to protect him from the savage creatures who wandered the woods all around them. If any of them dared to discover his hiding place, to try and harm the baby snuggled in his arms, he'd fight them until either they were all dead, or he was.

He readjusted the blanket over them then, and Aiden yawned, his brown eyes blinking sleepily.

"Me too, buddy," Sheppard murmured to the little boy, and as he began to play a number game in his mind to keep himself awake, his stomach rumbled again. Then, he remembered the berries he'd collected earlier, and rummaged around in the sling until he found them. They were all still whole, and he found himself staring uneasily down at them, deciding which color to try first. The red ones sort of resembled the raspberries on Earth, so he went with those. He popped one into his mouth, hesitated again, and then slowly bit into it.

"Not like raspberries," he grumbled as he spat out the bitter remains of the berry, then disposed of the uneaten red berries. He tried a dark purple one next, and found it somewhat palatable. He only ate six of them, however, wisely deciding to wait and see if they had any ill effects on his stomach before eating any more. Tucking the bandanna back into the empty sling, he leaned back against the rock wall of the cave and quietly hummed a song to Aiden, though it was actually more to comfort himself than the baby.

An hour later, he heard rocks sliding down from right above him, and pulled himself back further into the shadows of the cave. Just beyond, in the moonlight that spilled between the thick trees, he could see the pale legs of the Wraith. Three soldiers, he counted, and they were definitely searching for someone or something. One of them actually bent down and inspected the cave's opening, its masked face sweeping back and forth, and Sheppard's fingers slipped over his knife, his every muscle tensed as he waited for it to spot him. It didn't, however, and when the soldiers walked into the distance, the rush of adrenaline he'd felt stayed with him for minutes afterward. Shaking – or was he shivering? He couldn't tell now – he leaned his head against the cool wall and closed his eyes.

_That was too close_, he told himself. He couldn't hide there any longer – they'd surely find him once it was daylight, and Aiden would be hungry again soon. Besides, what kind of soldier was he, hiding out in a cave? _One with a baby to look after_, he argued back. Keeping Aiden safe was his top priority right now, and after that was looking for a way off the planet. However much he hated the Wraith, they were at the bottom of his list at the moment.

After much debating with himself, he figured it was time to make a break for the village. He'd try and grab his weapons and some more supplies for Aiden, and then lure the Wraith back into the woods, where he could hopefully pick them off a few at a time.

Sheppard quickly and quietly got Aiden into the sling, then tied it tightly around himself. His knife held securely in his right hand, he inched slowly out of the cave, his eyes scanning the trees for any sign of the Wraith, and then picked his way down into the underbrush, his innate sense of direction pointing him toward the village. Though there were a few tense moments when he was forced to duck behind a fallen log or a large rock to avoid being seen, he managed to make it to the village, and pressed himself on the side of a house. A group of soldiers stood directly in front of "his" house, the tallest of the group pointed toward the forest while the others nodded. Then, all but the one Sheppard assumed was in command left the village, and he knew that this was his chance. He unbound Aiden, who was sleeping again, from his chest and hid him in a thick patch of grass, and slid along the outside of the house. When he came to the corner, he peered around the edge, and saw the Wraith commander standing less than twenty feet from where he stood, with his back turned to him. Slowly, Sheppard stole around the house and easily closed the distance between them. He wrapped his arm around the Wraith's neck, his elbow pinching its windpipe shut, and quickly used his knife to slice its throat open. The Wraith made a low, gurgling sound through its mouth, and then fell dead. Sheppard grabbed its legs and dragged it behind the corrals, then snatched Aiden from his hiding place and rushed into their house, locking the door behind him. He knew it was a useless gesture, as one blast from a stunner would blow a man-sized hole in the wood, but it made him feel better anyway.

Once he'd pulled his supply of weapons from under Aiden's blankets, he felt better still, and risked a glance through the window he'd watched for his friends at. The street was empty, so he slid back down to the floor and hugged Aiden, glad that they were safe, at least for the moment.

_That moment sure didn't last long_, he mused as a blast from a Wraith stunner blew the window above him to pieces, showering him with sharp slivers of glass.

* * *

_Continued next chapter...Oh, the suspense! LOL_


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: So this is the last chapter, enjoy and let me know what you think!_

* * *

Chapter 3

Rodney guided the Jumper into the planet's atmosphere, his eyes on the Heads Up Display, or HUD as it was often called, even as his mind was miles away. _Somewhere down there_, he thought, _Sheppard is possibly lying hurt, surrounded by Wraith_. The remaining three members of AT-1 were now sure that it was the Wraith behind Sheppard's disappearance, as they'd seen a Dart speed away from the planet, heading into the expanse of space.

"Are you certain we are cloaked?" Teyla had asked, and Rodney had to bite his cheek to keep himself from shouting at her. Instead, he nodded curtly.

"I'm sure. We'll be ready to land in less than a minute."

Once they cleared the atmosphere and reached the meadow where the 'gate was situated, Rodney pointed to a blue dot on the HUD. "This one is Sheppard."

Teyla came forward and pressed her fingertip against a second dot, one that was nearly on top of the one Rodney had indicated. "Then who is this?"

"I'm sure I don't know. That life sign isn't as strong as Sheppard's."

Ronon stretched out his legs and sniffed. "Could be injured."

"Maybe." Rodney realized then how cramped he suddenly felt, and scowled at his teammates. "You mind not stealing all my air? Don't want me passing out during the landing, do you?"

Ronon shrugged. "I wouldn't care."

Teyla hid a smile even as she glared in disapproval at Ronon. She touched Rodney gently on the shoulder before moving toward the back of the Jumper. "Of course we would not. How many Wraith do you think are down there?"

Rodney concentrated for a moment, which brought up another map in front of him. "Less than twenty. Looks like they're just sweeping the area."

"What about the villagers?" Ronon asked. "Any survivors?"

Rodney shook his head. "No. Everyone's gone but Sheppard and whoever's with him." He thought again, and the map was replaced by the previous display on the HUD. "I think I found a good place to land. No Wraith there, and it's a short walk to Sheppard."

Ronon and Teyla shifted nervously in their seats as Rodney piloted the Jumper to a small clearing just ahead of the village, and set the cloaked ship neatly in the middle of it. As soon as the rear door touched the ground they leapt out, guns aimed at the trees around them. Ronon started walking toward the village, with Rodney and Teyla close behind him, when suddenly the air was filled with the sound of stunner blasts. Ronon took off at a run, his hand already pulling his own stunner from the holster strapped to his back.

"Ronon!" Teyla called, but he didn't turn around, so she ran after him. Rodney shouted after both of them, before running full charge down the path they were on.

* * *

Sheppard knelt on the ground in front of the house, his hands held behind his head and his eyes boring holes through the soldier standing before him. Aiden's sling dangled in the Wraith commander's grip, and inside it, the baby wailed in fear, causing Sheppard's heart to jolt painfully in his chest. His body warred with his mind as the Wraith stared at the infant – his body wanted to rip the Wraith's head right off, but his mind warned him about the stunner pointed at his head, telling him to be patient.

"Colonel Sheppard," the commander sneered, and Sheppard couldn't help but gasp as the sling rocked precariously in the creature's hand. "How…good to see you."

"Give the baby back," Sheppard warned, though he knew quite well he wasn't in any position to make demands. It didn't matter, however; in his eyes, Aiden needed him, and he'd be damned if he let some Wraith have him. It was killing him just to see the baby near the creature.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because," Sheppard growled, his anger twisting his face into a snarl, "if you don't, I'll kill you."

The Wraith laughed then, a horrible chuckling sound that only raised the colonel's ire. "And how would you perform this feat? Even now, you have a weapon pointed at your head."

Sheppard smiled his usual cocky grin then. "Give the baby to me, and you won't have to find out."

Again, the Wraith laughed, but Sheppard's grin remained. The commander paced before him, with a screaming Aiden still swinging back and forth in the sling. "What care do you have for this child, Sheppard? Is he your son?"

"No," Sheppard admitted, though he suddenly wished Aiden was his, while another part of him rejected the thought. If something did happen to the baby, it would make it so much harder to deal with if he'd been his own son. And yet, he'd cared for Aiden for two full days now, and so had bonded with him. "But I don't really want him hanging around such…bad company."

Now the Wraith grew angry, and the barrel of his stunner moved from Sheppard's head to press against the sling. Aiden's wails grew desperate again, and Sheppard lurched forward in an attempt to stop what was happening.

"Stop it!" He shouted at the Wraith, who turned to stare at him. "Just…stop!"

The commander paused for a moment, as if debating with himself, and then pointed the stunner once more at Sheppard. "Very well. But I warn you, Sheppard. If you anger me further, this child will not see another sunrise."

"Okay," he agreed, even as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. "But let me warn you, you're going to die very soon."

The Wraith only had time to narrow his yellow, catlike eyes before a red glow enveloped him, and a black scorch mark appeared on his chest. As he began to fall to the ground, the sling slipped from his grasp, and its bottom was only inches from a pile of rocks. Though he'd barely had time to stand, Sheppard staggered forward and caught the baby in his arms, then turned and almost ran right into Ronon. The Satedan grinned widely at him.

"Hey, Sheppard."

"Took you long enough."

"Sorry." He winced as Aiden screamed at the top of his lungs. "Who's the kid?"

Sheppard shrugged. "I'll explain later. Let's get outta here."

Teyla and Rodney stood at the start of the path, waving animatedly at them. "Hurry, there are more coming!" Teyla shouted before she and Rodney ran back to the Jumper. As Sheppard started down the narrow road with Aiden pressed tightly against his chest, Ronon guarded them, his stunner pointing in any direction where he thought he heard something. They made it back to the Jumper just as a dozen Wraith soldiers burst through the trees, growling and aiming their stunners at the team, and Sheppard slammed his fist on the rear door's control, shutting it before any blasts could reach them.

"Get this thing cloaked and in the air, Rodney!" He shouted to the scientist, who was already in the pilot seat and powering the Jumper's engines.

"On it!" Rodney called back. "Hang on!"

Teyla sat beside Sheppard on the bench in the rear of the Jumper, her booted feet braced against the floor, and her eyes widened as she finally realized that he still carried Aiden in his arms.

"John?" She asked, and nodded toward the baby, who continued to cry, though it was no longer the piercing wail but more of a sniffling whimper. Sheppard looked down at him and then at Teyla.

"He got left behind during the culling. I couldn't just leave him there."

She nodded serenely. "Of course."

He was about to say more, when the Jumper suddenly shifted to the right, threatening to tip them onto the floor. Sheppard quickly threw out his hand and grabbed the edge of the bench just in time, and scowled darkly at Rodney's back.

"Hey!" He shouted, and Rodney waved his hand without turning around.

"Sorry! Atmosphere's a little rocky up here." He made a quick correction, and the Jumper righted itself. "Better?"

Sheppard would've made another sharp comment, but he was too tired at the moment to do anything but sigh and lean his head against the metal bulkhead of their vessel.

He just wanted to get home, preferably in one piece.

* * *

Ronon walked up to Sheppard's door and sounded the chime, and was quite curious when the colonel didn't answer. He tested the door and found it was unlocked, so he quietly entered the room, his dark eyes scanning it for anything amiss. Then, he smiled and quickly tapped his com.

"Teyla?"

Her voice, soft as velvet, came back to him. "Yes, Ronon."

"You anywhere near Sheppard's room?"

"Yes, actually. Why?" She asked.

"There's something you gotta see."

He heard her sigh quietly before she replied, "Very well. I will be right there."

As promised, Teyla arrived moments later, and stepped cautiously through the open door. She was about to ask Ronon what was going on, when he put a finger to his lips and pointed at the bed. There, curled onto his side with a thick blanket over his waist, was Sheppard, with Aiden snuggled inside his arm, also sleeping deeply. At the foot of the bed, his guitar leaned upright, and an empty bottle sat on the floor beside the instrument.

Teyla smiled gently at the sight, and when she glanced at Ronon, she was surprised to see that his expression mirrored hers.

"He's a natural," Ronon murmured, and she nodded.

"Despite what he says to the contrary, John is very good with children, especially babies."

Ronon's grinned cracked wider. "Maybe it's because he hasn't grown up yet himself."

"He can hear you, you know," Sheppard suddenly muttered from the bed, and Teyla's eyes quickly shifted down to the floor, embarrassed that she'd been caught in the colonel's room, and with him being shirtless. Sheppard sat up, slowly moving his arm from under the baby's head so as not to wake him, and stared levelly at his two friends. "What're you doing in here?"

Teyla still felt too ashamed to speak, but Ronon merely shrugged. "You were missing from breakfast, so I came to check on you."

Sheppard considered his explanation for a moment. Then, under his breath, he said, "Gotta remember to lock my door."

Finally, Teyla spoke up. "We are sorry, John. You and the baby just seemed so…peaceful..."

"Aiden," he interrupted, and she shook her head once, not understanding. He cleared his throat and clarified. "His name's Aiden."

"You named him after Ford?" Ronon asked then, his eyebrow raised, and Sheppard nodded, his gaze full with a silent challenge.

"Yeah. Why, something wrong with that?"

Ronon watched him for another full moment before shaking his head. "No. Just wondering."

"Yeah, well, his eyes are real dark, just like…Ford's were. And his hair is kinda curly, so…"

"It is a fine name, John," Teyla assured him, her hand light on his bare shoulder.

"Thanks, Teyla." He looked down and realized that he wasn't fully dressed, and added, "You guys mind?"

"Of course not," She replied, and started to turn away before she remembered something she wanted to say. "We are glad that you are all right."

Ronon nodded his agreement with her sentiment, and then clapped Sheppard on the shoulder. "See ya later."

Sheppard grinned and ran his hand through his unruly dark hair. "Thanks, guys."

When they had gone, he eased himself back down onto his bed, and stared at Aiden. He was due to take the baby to Keller for a physical soon, but at the moment he just wanted to be alone with the little boy for as long as possible. He watched as Aiden's long, black eyelashes fluttered softly against his plump cheeks, and smiled.

* * *

So far, everyone who'd seen the baby had instantly fallen in love with him.

As soon as they'd exited the Jumper Bay, Carter had been waiting in the hall for them, and her eyes grew wide when she saw the baby in Sheppard's arms.

"Colonel?" She'd asked curiously.

"Rescued him from the planet. His mom was culled along with the rest of the villagers," he'd replied, his voice soft with heartache for the child he held. Then, he added, "I thought maybe the Athosians could care for him until he's older."

Carter had agreed, and had granted his request to keep Aiden with him until they could get in touch with Teyla's people.

Even Rodney, who claimed to hate most children, had taken a turn holding Aiden while Sheppard got a few stitches in a cut above his eye, where the glass from the broken window had sliced him open. He'd cooed and fussed over the baby as much as anyone else, and had since begun to refer to himself as "Uncle Rodney", which got him quite a few snide remarks from Ronon, but so far, he'd ignored them.

Sheppard hadn't realized how deep in thought he'd been until he looked down again, and saw two dark eyes staring calmly back at him.

"Hey, Aiden," he murmured quietly, and picked the infant up off the bed. He took him over to the window in his room, which overlooked the East Pier, and held him so he could see outside. Beyond the seemingly-endless expanse of water around the city, the shoreline of the mainland meandered along the horizon, little more than a dark smudge above the ocean.

Sheppard smiled as he thought of the people there, who by now would be preparing their morning meal, and then lightly squeezed Aiden to himself and said, "Welcome to your new home."

* * *

THE END!


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: Okay, so after a while of thinking about it - and a few prods in this direction, I've decided to add on to this story! I was going to make a sequel, but since there were only a few chapters the first time around I figured I'd save space. This is set a few months later, when Aiden is around 6 months old. I also changed the first chapter a tiny bit, so that Teyla doesn't have Torren. Guess that makes this story AU, but I didn't think many people would mind that, especially the Sheyla fans out there! (hint, hint) ;)_

_PS...Forahr asked if one of JFlan's kids was named Aiden, and you're right! Fergus (I've loved this name since the TV show "Roar" - look it up if you've never heard of it), Aiden and Truman are Joe's 3 boys and from what few pics I've seen, they're adorable like their Dad! :)_

* * *

A Colonel and a Baby

Chapter 4

"Colonel Sheppard?" A female voice asked in his headset.

John switched on his comm. "Teyla? What's up?"

"Could I have a word with you? It is somewhat important."

"Sure," he agreed. "Where are you?"

"In the control room. I can meet you..."

"That's okay," he interrupted. "Stay put. I'll come to you."

He heard her sigh of relief. "Thank you, John."

As he shut off his radio and exited the gym, where he'd been watching Ronon "instructing" a new team of Marines, John wondered what had Teyla so upset. He was unable to mistake the worry in her voice, and it set his own instincts on alert at once. Years of experience had taught him that if Teyla was worried, something was very wrong.

After a few minutes of navigating the many corridors of Atlantis, John reached the main control room, situated perfectly in the middle of the city, in the tallest tower. Teyla met him on the metal catwalk between Carter's office and the main area, her dark eyes clouded with more concern than he had initially imagined. The pit in his stomach grew exponentially as he drew close to her.

"What's wrong?" he immediately asked.

"I have been trying to contact Halling, and no one is replying," she said. "I thought at least someone would respond if Halling were indisposed, but..."

"How long's it been?"

"Four days." He opened his mouth to speak but she held up her hand and went on. "There are no hunting trips planned, nothing that would take everyone out contact for so long."

He paused a moment to think. Looking down at her, he could see that she was already thinking the worst - that the Wraith had come and somehow culled the Athosians without being detected by Atlantis. Fear reigned in her usually calm demeanor, and it somehow urged his own mind's wheels to start grinding.

"Okay," he told her then, "so let's take a Jumper and go check in. Could be there's a glitch on their end, some simple problem that needs fixing."

She nodded emphatically. "Thank you, John."

He gave her an encouraging smile. "No problem, Teyla. We'll figure this out."

"I just hope you are right, that everything is okay."

He reached out and touched her arm briefly. Though the contact was short-lived, it was uncharacteristic for him to initiate it, and though it startled her, Teyla was careful not to show it. She appreciated his gentle side and so wished to foster it whenever possible.

"Let's just go see before we jump to any conclusions, okay?" He asked, and she nodded.

"Of course."

"I'll go find the others and talk to Carter. Not necessarily in that order."

Teyla smiled, the first he'd seen in a while. "Very well. I will be in the gym if you need me."

He nodded and watched her walk away, hoping for her sake that everything was okay with her people.

* * *

There was something wrong. They could tell even before they landed the Jumper. John felt it as he flew over the village and saw none of the usual activity of a working Athosian settlement.

Standing behind him, Teyla's hand clamped onto his shoulder, her fingers digging into his flesh.

"John," she said, her voice strangled.

"Yeah, I know," he replied. Turning to Rodney McKay, who sat beside him, he said, "Scan for energy signatures."

McKay nodded mutely and did as requested. When the scan completed he stared at the screen, confused. John noticed his expression and asked, "What is it?"

"They're all there."

"What do you mean?"

McKay looked through the windshield, squinting as if it would help him see the Athosians better. "Just what I said. They're all down there, in the tents."

"What're they doing?" John asked, more to himself than anyone else.

That didn't stop McKay from replying. "I'm sure I don't know."

John rolled his eyes but kept from making a sarcastic remark. Instead he said, "Well, let's set down and find out what's going on."

He found a nice clearing on the east end of the village and landed the Jumper. The engines powered down, and the entire team had geared up and disembarked within three minutes. They walked into the seemingly-deserted village in single file; Ronon led the way, followed by Rodney and then Teyla, while John kept watch from behind. Their boots crunching on the stones that littered the ground sounded too loud, almost seeming to echo through the valley. Everything else was silent - there were no babies' cries, no dogs barking - not even the birds were singing.

They came to Halling's tent first, Ronon stepping to the side to let Teyla enter, though he kept his weapon ready just in case something lurked inside, about to pounce on her. Teyla glanced up at him, her gaze worried, and he gave her a ghost of a smile. She knew he meant to be encouraging, but all she felt was fear. Slowly parting the tent's flaps, she peered inside. It was dark, none of the usual lit candles flickering from the corners of the room. John flipped on the torch attached to his P90. The beam easily cut through the gloom, immediately illuminating the recognizably tall form of Teyla's closest Athosian friend. He was laid out flat on the floor, not even on the usual pile of skins and blankets the villagers slept upon at night, and his whole body trembled, covered with fevered sweat.

Before John could stop her, Teyla dropped to her knees beside Halling, her hand briefly touching his forehead before pulling back as if burned. Turning to the others, she said, "His fever is high."

From where he stood on the threshold of the tent, John noticed another form lying beside Halling, and aimed his flashlight at it. "Teyla," he called softly, "Jinto."

She reached over Halling and touched the boy's forehead, then looked up at John. "He is ill, also."

Ronon put his stunner away and said, "I'll go check the others."

"I'll go with you," John said, drawing a nod from the Satedan. "McKay, you stay with Teyla. Get in touch with Atlantis, let 'em know we have a medical emergency here."

McKay nodded, and John followed Ronon from the tent.

The two of them checked a handful more tents and found each of the occupants in a similar state, feverish and either unconscious or close to it. John was more than a little concerned now; if the entire village was stricken then there was a good chance he and his team had been infected the moment they had exited the Jumper. He rolled his eyes as he thought about Rodney's probable reaction to this news, which would likely consist of much yelling and hypochondria.

"Sheppard," Ronon's gruff voice said then. "Weren't Teyla's people caring for that kid you found?"

John's stomach, which had been alternating between worry-induced nausea and the usual feeling of dread he had when he woke up each morning in the Pegasus, hardened into a hunk of lead as he slowly nodded.

"Aiden. I was just about to make plans to come see him..."

"Do you know who he's living with?"

"No, but Teyla does. She came with when I dropped him off." He tapped his radio and after a brief crackle of static, said, "Hey, Teyla? You there?"

There was no response, so he tried McKay next. "Rodney, everything okay?"

Again, only silence returned to him, so he switched off and stared at Ronon, who was currently making the same face he imagined on himself.

"Let's go," Ronon rumbled, and they took off at a run for Halling's tent.

Even an nearly fifty yards away they could see two bodies dressed in black BDU's laying across the threshold of the tent, halfway in and half out. Skidding to a stop beside his fallen teammates, John swallowed the lump in his throat. Teyla lay face down in the dirt, her hands curled into fists on either side of her head, her legs still inside the dwelling. Rodney sprawled slightly diagonal to her, as if he'd been about to catch her when he also crumpled, succumbing to whatever this was.

"What the hell is this?" John asked aloud, though he knew Ronon was just as puzzled as he was.

"We should get 'em off the ground, at least," his friend said, and John nodded his agreement.

"You take McKay, and I'll grab Teyla, put 'em both in the Jumper for now."

John slipped his arms under Teyla's slender frame, hoisting her up against his chest as if he were carrying a child. Her head laid perfectly in the crook of his neck, the perspiration already dampening her face making his t-shirt feel warm and sticky. He readjusted his grip a little, but she did not respond to the jostling, and if he hadn't felt her pulse crashing against his forearm he would have thought she was dead. Shaking his head, he forced those thoughts away as Ronon scooped up McKay in his customary fireman's carry, the physicist's top half dangling over Ronon's back.

"You got 'er?" Ronon asked.

John nodded. "You go first."

Ronon shrugged but complied, walking easily through the brush as if he had not been burdened by McKay's weight, while John was forced to stop a few times to fix his grip on Teyla so he would not drop her. Finally they reached the Jumper and laid their sick friends on either of the benches that lined the rear compartment. Once he was satisfied that they were as safe as possible, John radioed Atlantis.

"Atlantis, this is Sheppard."

The static interference was longer this time, but soon the calm voice of Amelia Banks returned to him.

"This is Atlantis. We read you, Colonel."

"We're at the Athosian settlement, and we've discovered why they weren't answering Teyla's calls."

Colonel Samantha Carter reached Banks' seat and leaned over the console, her hand on the back of the chair.

"Why's that, John?" She asked.

Standing in the cockpit, looking toward the rear of the Jumper where Ronon now slumped between the other two, he replied, "They're all sick."

"Sick?" Carter repeated. "With what?"

"I don't know. Most of them are either delirious or unconscious, with high fevers."

"I'll call Keller to get a team ready, right away."

John sighed heavily. "Tell 'er to make sure they're all in HAZMAT gear."

"Understood. As soon as you get back..."

"That's gonna be a long way off, Sam," he interrupted.

"Why?" She asked, though some part of her already knew the answer.

"Because my team's infected, too. Teyla, Ronon and Rodney are all out cold and showing the same symptoms."

He could have sworn he heard a very coarse word muttered under her breath, but that could have been the static. Then, she replied, "Okay. You sit tight; Jen should be there within the hour, and hopefully she can figure out what's going on."

Still staring at his team, John shook his head. "I'd love to stay put and finish all Rodney's sudoku on him, but there's someone I need to find."

"John..."

"Aiden's here somewhere, and if he's not sick he's all alone. I'll check in every fifteen until Keller gets here," he bargained, though he already knew she would give. Her soft spot for children was just as big - if not bigger - than his.

"Be careful," she finally said, heaving a sigh.

"Scout's honor."

"You were a Boy Scout?"

He chuckled. "No."

"Nice."

Switching off, John gave a last glance at his team and then stepped down the ramp. There was nothing else he could do for them right now, but he needed to find the boy he'd trusted to the Athosians a few months ago. When his boots landed on the soft earth of the mainland he pulled out the Jumper's remote and pressed the button that closed the rear hatch.

"Be back soon, guys," he said to the cloaked Jumper. Then he turned and set off again for the village, this time all alone.

* * *

_Continued next chapter..._


End file.
